Stephen Altena: Everything Was So Pretty

Everything Was So Pretty is about looking at the world and all of its beautiful things through the eyes of a child. The work in this exhibition gives voice to that little skinny gay boy (who I think still lives inside me) who was too effeminate, too weak, and too other. This is a place for him and anyone else who wants to share in the delight, prettiness, and whimsy.

- Stephen Altena, artist

In his solo exhibition, Everything Was So Pretty, Stephen Altena creates a fantastical scene of plants and flowers in full bloom, coexisting despite their diverse needs. It is a wondrous landscape that piques curiosity, a space where imagination, escapism, and acceptance are encouraged. Hidden among the plants and flowers, child-like figures and familiar objects peek through. These decorative objects are markers of Altena's childhood memories of the Victorian farmhouse he grew up in and, later on, his visits to some of the world's renowned museums and galleries. However, in this place of contemplation, of the beautiful, and of familiar things, Altena subtly draws our attention to the often-romanticized depiction of rural life and childhood. His use of repetition, a key element in his maximalist approach to art making, serves as a powerful tool to remind us to consider the reality versus the fiction of the beautiful things we encounter.  

- Karly Boileau, curator

 

Stephen Altena was born in Hamilton, Ontario.  He is a graduate of Redeemer College University.  He is also a graduate of the Independent Study Program at Dundas Valley School Of Art, under the instruction of John Wilkinson and Susan Detwiler.  He has shown his work at Transit Gallery, Toronto Outdoor Exhibit, Hamilton Public Library, Hoop Gallery, and has sold works through the Art Gallery Of Hamilton’s Art Sale And Rental Gallery.  Along with Andrew McPhail, he is the cofounder of The Hundred Dollar Gallery, which hosted the first ever Hamilton Biennale.